Reporter points out Garrett Nussmeier's connection to New Orleans Saints as Derek Carr retires

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier is being linked to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have a complicated quarterback situation. Heading into next season, many fans and experts had concerns about whether starting QB Derek Carr would be available. He has struggled with injuries lately, and as a result, it was unclear who would start.

On Saturday, the team got clarity as Derek Carr officially retired from the NFL after undergoing medical evaluations on his shoulder. This report came from insider Mike Garafolo.

"Saints QB Derek Carr is retiring, sources tell The Insiders. Carr, 34, recently underwent multiple medical evaluations on his shoulder. Surgery was deemed the only route back to 100% and that would mean up to 6 months recovery. Carr retires rather than staying on IR all year."

After this news came out, reporter Ryan Dunleavy reacted and pointed out that Garrett Nussmeier has a connection to the Saints. He mentioned that if 2025 draftee Tyler Shough does not perform next season, Nussmeier could be an option for the Saints in the 2026 NFL draft.

"Wow. Big scoop. Tyler Shough, deemed by some to be the most NFL-ready QB in the draft class, now the favorite to start? If he struggles, Sants with leg up to draft high in 2026 class which could include Nola native Arch Manning and Saints OC Doug Nussmeier’s son Garrett."

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Doug Nussmeier is the new offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles this past season, helping them win the Super Bowl.

Garrett Nussmeier is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy next season

Garrett Nussmeier is projected to be one of the top QBs in the 2026 NFL draft. This past season, he emerged as a star, completing 337 of 525 passing attempts for 4052 yards and 29 TDs. He is now one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy next season. According to FanDuel, Nussmeier is tied with Texas QB Arch Manning with +800 odds to win the coveted award.

If Nussmeier has a Heisman Trophy-quality season, he will likely be a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints are not expected to be a strong team next season and could be in the mix to draft him. However, that will likely depend on the performance of Tyler Shough.

Shough was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft by the Saints. If he performs well as the starter following the Carr injury, it is unlikely that they will draft Garrett Nussmeier.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

Know More

New Orleans Saints Nation! Check out the latest Saints Schedule and dive into the New Orleans Saints Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Alexander O'Reilly